Images, Tables, and Graphics

Graphs, images, and other visual arguments can assist you in persuading the reader to accept your argument. Look for images (graphs, charts, etc.) that contain information that supports your thesis. The graphic must provide concrete details and facts to support your argument.

When using a graphic in your paper, you must discuss the information found in your table/chart within the body of your research paper. Graphics are not used to “pretty up” the paper, but used to further supplement the writer’s argument, so:

Check this tutorial to create a table/chart using Microsoft Word 2010:

On the next line, create a caption for the table (often the table title if it has one). Use standard capitalization rules.

Below the title, write the word Source followed by a colon, and then provide the correct MLA bibliographic information for the source. Use a hanging indent for lines after the first. If you provide source information with your illustrations, you do not need to provide this information on the Works Cited page.

Bibliographic Info: Use the source where you got your raw data, statistics, research, and format in the same way as you would with a quote.

Figures

All visuals/illustrations that are not tables are labeled Figure or Fig. Ex. diagrams, gifs, jpegs, charts, etc

Below the figure, provide a label name and its corresponding Arabic numeral (no bold or italics), followed by a period (e.g. Fig. 1.). Here, Figure and Fig. are capitalized.

Refer to the figure in the paragraph next to the where you embed the image by referring to Figure and provide an Arabic numeral that corresponds to the figure. Do not capitalize figure or fig.

On the same line as the label and number, provide a title and/or caption as well as relevant source information. If you provide source information with your illustrations, you do not need to provide this information on the Works Cited page.